Author(s)

L. Watson & M. Greer

Abstract

The composition and properties of cob: a traditional West Country building material L. Watson, M. Greer ABSTRACT Earth has been and remains a popular worldwide building material. However, there is the need to better understand the performance of this material at a regional level in the United Kingdom. This will ensure existing buildings are better conserved and the role of the material established for the future. The School of Architecture at Plymouth University has embarked upon a research programme to understand cob, the local earth building material in the South West region of the United Kingdom. The initial project identifies the constituents or cob and investigates their effects on its' mechanical performance. INTRODUCTION The Context of Cob as a Building Material The West Country enjoys a rich variety of traditional building materials from the granite of Dartmoor and the slate of North Cornwall to the mud stone of the South Hams. Numerous half timbered

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